Letting the Bad in with the Good
Part 10
Back when she was trying to get Gunn to talk to her and he wouldn't, Fred was angry. So angry that she thought she would never, ever, be any angrier. Well, she was wrong. Wesley had exploded at her and she was ready to explode right back. "I didn't lie when I said you were a good man Wesley," she started off. "I still think you are, of coarse that thought isn't based on how you're acting now."
"I see the way you look at Gunn. It's the same way I look at you," Wesley admitted. "Why won't you look at me that way?" Her heart softened a little for him, but then her anger kicked in and reminded her of what a jerk Wesley had just been. "I don't know." She answered honestly. Wesley took in a deep breath, turning away from her when he exhaled.
"I'm sorry, Wesley, but I can't help how I feel." Fred said lowly. Wesley turned again, with glistening eyes behind his glasses, and said, "So you admit it? You care for Gunn more than me?" Why was Wesley doing this to himself? Fred knew the real reasons why she wanted to keep her relationship with Gunn low key, for Wesley's sake.
Why was he torturing himself like this? "Please, Fred, answer me. I deserve the truth." He pleaded with her. "It's not necessarily "care" more rather than "want to be with,"" Fred replied quietly. "I'm sorry Wesley. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, or anyone." Wesley licked his lips and sighed.
"No changing your mind?" he asked with raised eyebrows. She threw him a half smile before shaking her head. "OK, let me then take this opportunity to apologize for how I acted when under the force's influence." In response, Fred walked up and hugged him. He returned the embrace before pulling away from her. "Is Angel awake?" he asked after a little awkward moment.
Fred wanted to talk more, but his eyes told her that it was done. "Yeah, Cordy's with him now." Wesley nodded. "Right, I'll see you in the office tomorrow then." Fred grabbed his arm one more time before he left. "There is nothing that you could ever do to me, or anyone else, that would make me think that you are not a good man. Remember that, Wesley." Fred told him.
With a small smile, Wesley was gone, and Fred was left feeling pretty crappy. She had broken his heart; hurt him...more than he had hurt her. How was she going to work beside him? "Fred?" Fred turned at Gunn's call to her. "What are you doing out here?"
"Settling some old business." She answered. Gunn looked confused before reaching his hand out for her's. She took it and he led her back into Cordy's apartment.
***
Fred woke up well rested, even though she was next to Gunn on Cordy's uncomfortable couch. She looked over at Gunn's sleeping form and smiled before getting up without waking him. She stretched and walked into the kitchen, where Connor's play pin was. Fred figured she would handle the Connor duties this morning since she was in such a good mood already, but the play pin was empty when she reached it.
She furrowed her brow in thought before realizing that Connor's father was right in the other room. However, she just didn't feel right about this. She gently opened Cordelia's bedroom door. She saw an Angel-Cordelia knot on the bed, but Connor wasn't there. Fred walked in, noticing the crib Cordy had in the corner of her room, and decided that Connor had to be in there.
Fred's face turned white when there was nothing in there. She got out of the room and woke Gunn. "I'm up, I'm up!" he shouted. Fred shushed him and he immediately paying attention when he saw the look of panic on her face. "What's the matter?"
"Connor's not here." She whispered. Gunn looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course he's here." Fred shook her head. "I looked everywhere there is to look in Cordy's apartment, Charles. He is not here." Just then, the door to Cordelia's bedroom opened and Angel stepped out. "Where's Connor?" he asked urgently. Cordelia was right behind him, an equal look of worry on her face.
"I don't know."
Part 10
Back when she was trying to get Gunn to talk to her and he wouldn't, Fred was angry. So angry that she thought she would never, ever, be any angrier. Well, she was wrong. Wesley had exploded at her and she was ready to explode right back. "I didn't lie when I said you were a good man Wesley," she started off. "I still think you are, of coarse that thought isn't based on how you're acting now."
"I see the way you look at Gunn. It's the same way I look at you," Wesley admitted. "Why won't you look at me that way?" Her heart softened a little for him, but then her anger kicked in and reminded her of what a jerk Wesley had just been. "I don't know." She answered honestly. Wesley took in a deep breath, turning away from her when he exhaled.
"I'm sorry, Wesley, but I can't help how I feel." Fred said lowly. Wesley turned again, with glistening eyes behind his glasses, and said, "So you admit it? You care for Gunn more than me?" Why was Wesley doing this to himself? Fred knew the real reasons why she wanted to keep her relationship with Gunn low key, for Wesley's sake.
Why was he torturing himself like this? "Please, Fred, answer me. I deserve the truth." He pleaded with her. "It's not necessarily "care" more rather than "want to be with,"" Fred replied quietly. "I'm sorry Wesley. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, or anyone." Wesley licked his lips and sighed.
"No changing your mind?" he asked with raised eyebrows. She threw him a half smile before shaking her head. "OK, let me then take this opportunity to apologize for how I acted when under the force's influence." In response, Fred walked up and hugged him. He returned the embrace before pulling away from her. "Is Angel awake?" he asked after a little awkward moment.
Fred wanted to talk more, but his eyes told her that it was done. "Yeah, Cordy's with him now." Wesley nodded. "Right, I'll see you in the office tomorrow then." Fred grabbed his arm one more time before he left. "There is nothing that you could ever do to me, or anyone else, that would make me think that you are not a good man. Remember that, Wesley." Fred told him.
With a small smile, Wesley was gone, and Fred was left feeling pretty crappy. She had broken his heart; hurt him...more than he had hurt her. How was she going to work beside him? "Fred?" Fred turned at Gunn's call to her. "What are you doing out here?"
"Settling some old business." She answered. Gunn looked confused before reaching his hand out for her's. She took it and he led her back into Cordy's apartment.
***
Fred woke up well rested, even though she was next to Gunn on Cordy's uncomfortable couch. She looked over at Gunn's sleeping form and smiled before getting up without waking him. She stretched and walked into the kitchen, where Connor's play pin was. Fred figured she would handle the Connor duties this morning since she was in such a good mood already, but the play pin was empty when she reached it.
She furrowed her brow in thought before realizing that Connor's father was right in the other room. However, she just didn't feel right about this. She gently opened Cordelia's bedroom door. She saw an Angel-Cordelia knot on the bed, but Connor wasn't there. Fred walked in, noticing the crib Cordy had in the corner of her room, and decided that Connor had to be in there.
Fred's face turned white when there was nothing in there. She got out of the room and woke Gunn. "I'm up, I'm up!" he shouted. Fred shushed him and he immediately paying attention when he saw the look of panic on her face. "What's the matter?"
"Connor's not here." She whispered. Gunn looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course he's here." Fred shook her head. "I looked everywhere there is to look in Cordy's apartment, Charles. He is not here." Just then, the door to Cordelia's bedroom opened and Angel stepped out. "Where's Connor?" he asked urgently. Cordelia was right behind him, an equal look of worry on her face.
"I don't know."